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Wednesday, 4 September 2013

On Peace Between Christians and GBLT People

So this dishonest
article in the Advocate is the latest in a long line of Christian bigotry
apologists calling for there to “peace” and a “middle ground” between GBLT
people and Christians – and how both sides are as bad as each other.

Why is it dishonest? Because it completely misses the context of this “war”.
And, I’ll agree, there is a war being fought.

There is a war being fought because Christians (and other
religious groups) are constantly attacking us. There are multi-million pound
Christian groups created with destroying our rights as one of their express
purposes. Politicians get up and speak against every right we fight for while
waving Bibles in the air. The head of the biggest Christian denomination in the
world spouts hate speech every bit as hateful as the Westboro Baptist church. In
my country the Anglican church weasels its way around desperately fighting
against our rights every time they’ve come up for a vote – and because they are
an established church they actually, sickening, have a vote to make their bigotry
law. The Christian Orthodox church in Russia is up to its neck in Russian
anti-gay laws and other branches of the Orthodox church can be found
championing bigotry throughout the Balkans. The Catholic church around the
world can be relied upon for the most hateful homophobic rhetoric and the most
powerful opposition to every and any right we fight for.

Quite literally BILLIONS of Christians support these
homophobic denominations.

And the gay equivalent…

See, we’re not fighting to have Christians executed. We’re
not fighting to have Christians arrested. We’re not fighting to have forceful
conversion of Christians. We’re not fighting to have Christians fired. We’re
not fighting to break up Christian marriages. We’re not fighting to have
anti-Christian bigotry championed in schools. We’re not fighting to have
Christian kids bullied to the point of suicide. We’re not fighting to get
anything FROM Christians or to do anything TO Christians. We have no vested
interest in fighting Christianity – only in defending ourselves AGAINST it.

This is a war – but it isn’t two sides attacking each
other. It’s one side constantly attacking and the other side constantly
defending.

If you want the war to end – then stop the Christians attacking. It’s that
simple. We can’t stop fighting while we’re under attack but there’s no reason
for us to fight once that attack ends. When they stop attacking our battle is
over because we’ve got what we’re fighting for – freedom from Christian
persecution.

Which is why the “middle ground” is such a red herring. And being a “bridge”
between our communities so utterly dishonest.

Our position: To have all the same respect and rights as cishet people without
persecution or attack

Christian position: For GBLT people to be treated as
lesser people, to be subject to conversion torture, to be ridiculed, attacked and/or
kept hidden

Where’s the middle ground? Because we don’t want anything
from THEM, because we aren’t attacking anything of theirs, the only “middle
ground” is for us to remain silent about some Christian abuse and persecution –
to accept a given level of disrespect and dehumanisation for the sake of peace
with Christianity.

No. No I will not be meeting you on the middle ground.

And does it suck mightily for those GBLT people who, for whatever
reason, chose to associate with forces that love to persecute us? Yes, it must
be awful for you. But place the blame where it belongs – and don’t blame other GBLT
people for being defensive after the incessant attacks from your
co-religionists. Recognise that this war isn’t our doing, recognise that for
this war to end the people YOU are supporting need to stop attacking us.

Because when you play this both sides are equal bullshit
then you just come off as a quisling, trying to make us drop our shields while
the attackers aim their spears.